Vaccinations in Halakha

(4) There is no difference between a roof or anything else that is dangerous and likely to cause death to a person who might stumble. If, for instance, one has a well or a pit in his courtyard — — he must build an enclosing ring ten handbreadths high, or put a cover over it, so that a person should not fall into it and die. So too, any obstruction that is a danger to life must be removed as a matter of positive duty and extremely necessary caution.

Permission was given to doctors to heal - and we do not say that god harms and heals.

(5) The sages have prohibited many things because they are dangerous to life. If anyone disregards them and says : "What claim have others on me if I risk my own life?" or: "I do not mind this," he should be lashed for disobedience.

There are many things that the sages forbade due to a concern of danger. Anyone who violates this and says "What claim have others on me if I risk my own life?" or: "I do not mind this," the Rambam says he should be lashed for disobedience. His intention is not that this is just a rabbinic ordinance, but in truth this is a Torah level prohibition and we don't give the lashes [given for violating a Torah prohibition] just as we don't give these lashes for many violations (Beit Yosef).

I am surprised that when it comes to smallpox outbreaks, which spreads from child to child, why do people not take their children out of the city? In the future, the fathers will be responsible for the deaths of their children who are nursing, and have committed no sin, and those who are weaned and have committed no sins, and died from the sickness whose fathers did not take them away [from the city]. Every man who fears god should fear every eventuality. These things that are included in protecting the body are included in the warnings of (Devarim 4:9) 'take utmost care and watch yourselves scrupulously' and this is also the way of the world to take care of one's body since it is the container that the soul is wrapped up in so it will be a throne for the soul.

Rabbi Yehuda says in Abba Gurya’s name: ... The best of doctors is to Gehenna

'The best of doctors is to gehenna' - They do not fear disease. They eat the food of the healthy, and they do not act humbly before God. Sometimes they kill, and sometimes they are able to heal a poor person but do not do so.

We can explain what was written (kiddushin 82a) 'The best of doctors is to Gehenna'. The explanation is that a doctor that is not also an expert in God's Torah will view his subjects as nothing but material beings. Therefore he is destined for gehenna.

And it is taught in a baraita: A Torah scholar is not permitted to reside in any city that does not have these ten things: ... a doctor; and a bloodletter;...

(14) The priests had sick stomachs, because they constantly stood barefoot on the Court pavement, consumed much meat, and wore nothing but a shirt during the sacrificial service. For this reason, an officer was appointed to examine them and cure all their ailments; he was constantly taken up with them, he and the men under him.

(1) Several ahronim agree that this is only is the two of them are equal. However if one is wiser we listen to that one's words, whether for leniency or stringency since when numbers are equal we follow the majority in wisdom.

(10) Every illness that the doctors say is dangerous, even though it is external on the flesh, they desecrate Sabbath for it. And if one doctor says [the treatment] is necessary [to save the patient's life] and one doctor says it is not necessary, they desecrate [the Sabbath by treating the patient]. And there is someone who says that it does not require an expert, because everyone is considered a bit of an expert, and a doubt when a life is at stake is resolved leniently. Gloss: Some say this is specifically regarding a Jew [that a nonexpert is relied upon] but ordinary nonJews who are not doctors are not treated like experts. Someone whom they wish to force to violate a great sin they do not desecrate the Sabbath for him in order to save him [from the sin].

If the patient does not want the medicine, we force the patient to take it. If the patient says he requires a certain medicine, and the doctor says the patient does not need it, we listen to the patient. If the doctor says another medicine will work better, we listen to the doctor.

Because smallpox is an infectious disease, the rule is to be far away from the city [when an outbreak occurs]. Now this is not common since for about 150 years doctors have given every small child a year of age or older cow pox, and because of this they are saved from this disease [smallpox], as is known.

When there are children with smallpox, we do not need to take the children out of the city because now in these days there is cure - a smallpox vaccine - and there are specialists who administer it. It is no longer like the Shelah who writes that we need to take our children out of the city [when a smallpox outbreak occurs]. (Zera Emet). ... in any case the judgement of the Torah of hashem, we have specialists that make vaccines and no person has been injured from it and they do it [vaccinate] every day. (Magen Avraham). Now the specialists are even more precise because they do the injection with a needle in the hand of the child and because of this the children do not contract smallpox.